Review: Samsung Fascinate
Photos
Image quality from the Samsung Fascinate's 5 megapixel camera was strikingly good at times. Images taken under bright, outdoor light were crisp with great details and accurate color. Some reds could blow out a bit, but this was better controlled than on most mobile camera sensors. The camera couldn't quite aim properly for real macro photography, but it did a nice job with simple close-ups.
Indoors, quality was reduced, but not dramatically. In good indoor light, the camera sensor stayed true to the colors present, and didn't drown in noise or other problems. In dimmer light, colors started to drain. The flash was little help, though it would be welcome in the most severe low-light circumstances.
At best, images from the Fascinate were printworthy as 8 by 10s, and that's fine praise, indeed. At worst, they would still be fine for Web sharing and any simpler messaging tasks.
Video
The Samsung Fascinate records 720p hi-def video. I found the videos looked pretty good. Outdoor videos were bright and colorful, without exploding too much in bright backlighting. Indoors, more artifacts and blocky bits of compression were evident. It's a cameraphone best suited for working outside, then.
Check out these high definition samples below. Be sure to click on the resolution button until it says "720p," then watch the samples full screen for the highest quality.
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